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BUSINESS & POLITICS IN THE WORLD GLOBAL OPINION REPORT NO. 742 Week:
May 09 – May 15, 2022 Presentation:
May 20, 2022 85%
Of Okinawans Fear U S-China Clash Over Taiwan Thai
Twitter Users Mostly Excited About The Platform’s Acquisition By Elon Musk 6
In 10 Businesses (56%) Report Not Being Visited By Tax Officials ‘Beergate’
Seems To Have Had No Negative Impact On Keir Starmer’s Reputation Health
Crisis, War In Ukraine, Decline In Purchasing Power: French Point Of View 77
Percent Of Consumers Are Increasingly Worried About Rising Energy Prices 57%
Of Americans Say Masks Should Be Required On Airplanes And Public
Transportation A
Majority Of Americans Favor Expanding Natural Gas Production To Export To
Europe Amid
Record Inflation, Eight In Ten (83%) Canadians Expect Large Increases In The
Cost Of Food Football
Biggest Movers – Among 5 Countries Climate
Change Is A Regular Concern For Half (48%) Of People Globally In 30 Countries Sharing
Streaming Account Log-Ins; A Study In 43 Major Markets How
Do Western European And Us Perceptions Of Crime And Policing Compare, A Study
In 8 Nations INTRODUCTORY NOTE 742-43-22/Commentary: Canadians Cutting Back On Dining Out (54%)
And Entertainment (46%) To Save Money Amidst Decades-High Inflation
Canadians
are employing a wide variety of tactics in order to save money and protect
their household finances against an inflation rate approaching 7%, according
to a new Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of Global News. The most common
strategies that Canadians report employing in 2022 in order to deal with the
higher cost of living include: cutting back on dining out (54%), looking at
flyers for sales (51%), putting off new purchases like clothing (47%),
cutting back on entertainment (46%) and using a couponing or sale app to save
money (31%). Other ways
that Canadians are trimming their household budget include: cutting back on
both international (33%) and domestic travel (31%) – no doubt grudgingly
given many haven’t travelled in more than two years, switching their regular
grocery store for one they think is cheaper (26%), eating less meat (24%),
buying fewer fresh fruits and vegetables (22%), and carpooling more or taking
fewer car trips (18%) in order to save on gas. Some are
resorting to even more drastic measures in order to make ends meet. One in
eight (13%) have started using money that they were setting aside for
retirement, and one in twelve (8%) have delayed or did not renew a medical
prescription, rising to 14% among those aged 18-34. Parents with
children in their household have also had to scale back the amount of money
they spend on their children:
Overall,
just 14% of Canadians have not employed any of these tactics and have
continued to spend their money as they did prior to these inflationary times. The data
also reveal that certain groups of people are more likely to be cutting back
on different things:
Perhaps not
surprisingly, Canadians in the lowest income threshold studied – those whose
household earns less than $40K per year, are more likely than the average
Canadian to be cutting back in a number of ways, including on dining out (60%
of those under $40K vs. 54% national average), looking at flyers for sales
(57% vs. 51%), eating less meat (31% vs. 24%), eating fewer fresh fruits and
vegetables (27% vs. 22%), and putting of purchases like clothing (56% vs.
47%). Women are
also more likely than men to have changed their behaviour amidst rising
inflation, including switching grocery stores (30% vs. 22%), looking at
flyers for sales (55% vs. 46%), eating less meat (27% vs. 21%), eating less
fresh fruit and vegetables (25% vs. 18%), and putting off purchases like new
clothing (52% vs. 41%). (Ipsos
Canada) 12 May 2022 742-43-22/Country Profile:
SUMMARY
OF POLLS
ASIA (Japan) 85% Of Okinawans Fear U S-China Clash Over Taiwan Eighty-five percent of Okinawans are
worried that their island prefecture could be dragged into a military
conflict between the United States and China over Taiwan, according to a
survey. Forty-four percent of the respondents said they “greatly fear” such a
scenario, considering Okinawa Prefecture hosts around 70 percent of U.S.
military facilities in Japan. Forty-one percent were “somewhat fearful.” Of
the respondents who “greatly fear” Okinawa becoming embroiled in a conflict
over Taiwan, 25 percent said U.S. bases on Okinawa are greatly necessary for
Japan’s security, higher than the overall ratio. (Asahi Shimbun) May 13, 2022 (South
Korea) Less Than 60 Percent Of Respondents Expect South Korea’s
New President Will Do Well In His Presidency Surveys show less than 60 percent of
respondents expect he will do well in his presidency, an unusually low figure
compared to his predecessors, who mostly received about 80 percent-90 percent
before they entered office. His approval rating as a president-elect was 41
percent, according to a survey by Gallup Korea released last week that put
then President Moon’s rating at 45 percent. (Asahi Shimbun) May 11, 2022 (Philippine) Marcos Jr. Won Philippine Presidency, With More Than 96
Percent Of The Votes According To Unofficial Count Marcos Jr. had more than 30.5 million votes
in the unofficial results with more than 96 percent of the votes tabulated
overnight after Monday’s election. His nearest challenger, Vice President
Leni Robredo, a champion of human rights and reforms, had 14.5 million, and
boxing great Manny Pacquiao appeared to have the third highest total with 3.5
million. (Asahi Shimbun) May 10, 2022 (Thailand) Thai Twitter Users Mostly Excited About The Platform’s
Acquisition By Elon Musk Two weeks after Twitter announced that they have entered into a
definitive agreement to be acquired by tech mogul and billionaire Elon Musk, latest data from YouGov RealTime Omnibus indicates Thai Twitter users (defined
as those who say they are a member of the platform) were feeling positive
about the new leadership. Four in ten users were excited about the
acquisition (39%) – with men significantly more likely to say so (43%) –
while a further one in ten happy to hear the news (10%). (YouGov Thailand) May 9, 2022 (Pakistan) 6 In 10 Businesses (56%) Report Not Being Visited By Tax
Officials A nationally representative sample of adult
men and women from across the four provinces was asked the following
question, “Over the last year, was this establishment visited or inspected by
tax officials or required to meet with them?”. In response to this question
in Q1 2022, 56% said no, 38% said yes, 5% didn’t know and 1% gave no
response. More businesses from Punjab (41%) were inspected by/visited by tax
officials or met with them as compared to those from Sindh (27%). (Gallup Pakistan) May 10, 2022 WEST
EUROPE (UK) Britons Are Split On The Issue Of Compulsory Voting, With
45% In Favour Of The Policy And 42% Opposed Britons are split on the issue of
compulsory voting, with 45% in favour of the policy and 42% opposed. Labour
voters are more likely than Conservative voters to support compulsory voting
(57% vs 48%), and older Britons are also more likely to support the policy
than younger Britons, by 57% for those 65 and older to 38% among 18-24 year
olds. (YouGov UK) May 10, 2022 ‘Beergate’ Seems To Have Had No Negative Impact On Keir
Starmer’s Reputation In a week that should have seen Keir
Starmer celebrating Labour’s local election wins, the leader of the opposition has instead
found himself at the centre of a police investigation. Police in Durham are now re-investigating
whether a shared meal of curry and beer after a day on the campaign trail in May 2021 was a violation of the lockdown rules.
YouGov data shows 41% of the public think of Starmer as principled, while
only 23% think of him as unprincipled. Of the six attributes we asked about,
this is the one on which Starmer performs most favourably. (YouGov UK) May 12, 2022 Half Of Britons Think It Is Likely The Uk Will Get No
Points In The 66th Eurovision Song Contest Final In a new survey by Ipsos, half (50%) of
Britons think that the UK will once again receive no points (nul points) from
the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest being held on Saturday the 14th May
in Turin, Italy. This is despite the fact that the current UK act Sam Ryder
is second favourite to win according to the bookmakers. Even among those who
are likely to watch the Eurovision, there remains much pessimism with just
over half (53%) thinking no points is likely. (Ipsos MORI) 13 May 2022 (France) Health Crisis, War In Ukraine, Decline In Purchasing Power:
French Point Of View 48% of French people made at least one
donation in 2021 (-1 point vs 2020) for an average total amount of €274 over
the year (-31% vs 2020). 52% of people under 35 made at least one donation in
2021 (+10 points vs 2020). 54% of French people (as in 2021) declare that they
have given or will give in 2022. 1 donor out of 4 plans to give less or even
no more in 2022, the first reason given being the decline in purchasing power.
46% of French people have made or plan to make a donation for Ukraine in
2022, but among them, 3 out of 10 plan to give less than usual for other
causes. (Ipsos France) May 12, 2022 (Germany) 77 Percent Of Consumers Are Increasingly Worried About
Rising Energy Prices The war in Ukraine, a growing inflation
rate and rising energy prices are currently causes for concern among many
German consumers. A YouGov survey shows that since the beginning of the
war, almost eight out of ten Germans (77 percent) have become increasingly
worried about high energy prices. A majority of east German consumers support
a later phase-out of coal (61 percent), while only 53 percent in the west
German states share this opinion. (YouGov Germany) May 10, 2022 NORTH AMERICA (USA) Black And Hispanic Americans, Those With Less Education Are
More Likely To Fall Out Of The Middle Class Each Year In 2021, half of American adults overall
lived in middle-income households. But about a third (32%) of those who were
in the middle-income tier in 2020 were no longer in that tier in 2021. These
adults were equally likely to have moved up to the upper-income tier or down
to the lower-income tier – 16% each in each direction – from 2020 to 2021.
Some 68% of adults who were in the middle-income tier in 2020 were still in
that tier in 2021, during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic. (PEW) MAY 10, 2022 57% Of Americans Say Masks Should Be Required On Airplanes
And Public Transportation A majority of U.S. adults (57%) say
travelers on airplanes and public transportation should be required to wear
masks, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. A smaller share (42%)
say travelers should not be required to wear masks in these situations. A
majority of U.S. adults who have received at least one dose of a COVID-19
vaccine (66%) say masks should be required for travelers on airplanes and
public transportation. (PEW) MAY 11, 2022 A Majority Of Americans Favor Expanding Natural Gas
Production To Export To Europe As much of Europe grapples with how to
reduce its dependence on Russian oil and gas, 61% of Americans say they would
favor the United States expanding production to export large amounts of
natural gas to European countries. A smaller share (37%) say they would
oppose expanding natural gas production to export to countries in Europe. A
large majority of U.S. adults (67%) continue to say developing alternative
energy sources, such as wind and solar. (PEW) MAY 12, 2022 (Canada) Amid Record Inflation, Eight In Ten (83%) Canadians Expect
Large Increases In The Cost Of Food A
new Ipsos survey with the World Economic Forum, carried out in eleven countries, reveals
high levels of public economic pessimism in the face of a worldwide cost of
living crisis. Canada is no exception to this trend, with nearly half of
Canadians (49%) saying that inflation is a top-three issue for them, as they
brace for large increases in the cost of food shopping, household shopping,
and fuel in the coming year. (Ipsos Canada) 11 May 2022 Canadians Cutting Back On Dining Out (54%) And
Entertainment (46%) To Save Money Amidst Decades-High Inflation Canadians are employing a wide variety of
tactics in order to save money and protect their household finances against
an inflation rate approaching 7%, according to a new Ipsos poll conducted on
behalf of Global News. The most common strategies that Canadians report
employing in 2022 in order to deal with the higher cost of living include:
cutting back on dining out (54%), looking at flyers for sales (51%), putting
off new purchases like clothing (47%), cutting back on entertainment (46%)
and using a couponing or sale app to save money (31%). (Ipsos Canada) 12 May 2022 AUSTRALIA Bendigo Bank Home Loan Customers Are The Most Satisfied
With Their Bank, Followed By Ing, Macquarie And Suncorp The latest
data covers the six months to March 2022 and overall home loan customer
satisfaction amongst Australia’s top 12 banks collectively was at 78.6%
during this period. This represents a decrease of 1% point from a year ago
(six months to March 2021). The other top five banks were close behind with
customer satisfaction ratings among home loan customers at 89.6% for ING,
86.4% for Macquarie, 86.2% at Suncorp and 84.6% at Bankwest. Of these the
biggest improvers were Macquarie, up 7.8% points on a year ago and Suncorp,
which was up 3.2% points. (Roy Morgan) May 12 2022 MULTICOUNTRY STUDIES Football Biggest Movers – Among 5 Countries In England, Chelsea's
Buzz score is skyrocketing (+19.6). Liverpool (+6.4), Manchester City
(+5.8), PSG (+2.2) and Fulham (+2.2) complete the top 5 for the month of
April. In Spain , Villarreal clinched the top
spot with a 10.3 point increase in their score from Buzz. This score
seems to be linked to the team's fine run in the Champions League, up to the
semi-final. PSG (+6.9), Arsenal (+5.3), Real Sociedad (+4.1) and Real
Valladolid (+3.8) also recorded good progress. (YouGov France) May 9, 2022 Source: https://fr.yougov.com/news/2022/05/09/football-biggest-movers-avril/ Climate Change Is A Regular Concern For Half (48%) Of
People Globally In 30 Countries 68% think government and businesses need to
act now or risk failing future generations. Just 39% agree that their
government has a clear plan in place to tackle climate change. 48% worry
about climate change regularly. Climate change sits 8th on a list of concerns
for the public Seven in 10 (68%) are concerned about the impacts already
being seen in their country, especially in South Africa and Chile, while a
similar proportion (70%) worry about effects already seen in other
countries. (Ipsos Denmark) 10 May 2022 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/en-dk/global-advisor-earth-day-2022 Sharing Streaming Account Log-Ins; A Study In 43 Major
Markets Latest data from YouGov Global Profiles – the world's largest globally
consistent audience dataset – reveals that consumers in India, Thailand and Vietnam are
most likely out of 12 major APAC markets to say it is ok to share their
video/music streaming service login details with anyone they want
to. Over two-fifths (41%) of Indian consumers think it is acceptable to
share streaming service credentials, while more than a third of Thai (36%)
and Vietnamese (34%) consumers also say it is ok to share their video/music
streaming accounts. (YouGov India) Source: https://th.yougov.com/en-th/news/2022/05/10/sharing-streaming-account-logins-APAC-survey-poll/ 6 Out Of 10 People Globally Fear That They Will Not Be Able
To Continue Buying The Same Products As Before, In 11 Countries When the world was still beginning to
recover from the economic impact of Covid-19, the rise in the prices of
energy and raw materials, driven by the international context, has led to a
significant increase in the cost of living in practically all
countries. A quarter of citizens in these countries say that it is quite
or very difficult for them to manage their finances at present. For its
part, in Spain, 21% of citizens say
they have many or quite a few economic difficulties, while 36% say that
"they manage with what is fair". (Ipsos Spain) May 10, 2022 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/es-es/Percepciones_globales_Inflacion_Ipsos_Mayo_2022 How Do Western European And Us Perceptions Of Crime And
Policing Compare, A Study In 8 Nations Crime is a universal issue, and each
country has its own tailored methods to reduce them. YouGov asked the US
public and seven European countries (Britain, Germany, France, Spain, Italy,
Denmark and Sweden) their perception of crime levels in their country, how
their police deal with it and their personal experiences with the police. The
US public are most likely to think crime has gone up nationally in the last
few years (67%), with just 7% thinking it has gone down. Of the European
countries we asked, Swedes are the most likely to think crime is on the rise,
at a similar 66% (with just 6% thinking it had gone down). (YouGov UK) May 13, 2022 ASIA
742-43-01/Polls 85% Of Okinawans Fear U S-China Clash Over Taiwan
Eighty-five percent of Okinawans are
worried that their island prefecture could be dragged into a military
conflict between the United States and China over Taiwan, according to a
survey. Forty-four percent of the respondents said
they “greatly fear” such a scenario, considering Okinawa Prefecture hosts
around 70 percent of U.S. military facilities in Japan. Forty-one percent
were “somewhat fearful.” The survey was conducted on randomly
selected eligible voters in Okinawa Prefecture by The Asahi Shimbun, The
Okinawa Times and Ryukyu Asahi Broadcasting Corp. from March to April. It was the first such survey to ask
Okinawans about a possible contingency over Taiwan. Other surveys have shown that Japanese are
more worried about armed conflict in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
that started in late February. Perhaps reflecting those concerns, the
Okinawa survey found that 69 percent of respondents feel the U.S. military
bases in the prefecture are needed for Japan’s security, including 20 percent
who said they are “greatly necessary.” In telephone surveys in 2015 and 2019, 53
percent felt the U.S. bases were needed to defend Japan. Of the respondents who “greatly fear”
Okinawa becoming embroiled in a conflict over Taiwan, 25 percent said U.S.
bases on Okinawa are greatly necessary for Japan’s security, higher than the
overall ratio. Still, 63 percent of respondents were in
favor of relocating some U.S. bases to other prefectures to ease the burden
on the southernmost prefecture, while 27 percent were against such moves. In the 2002 telephone survey, 48 percent
supported base relocations to outside Okinawa Prefecture while 40 percent
were opposed. The latest survey also asked Okinawans
which aspect of China poses the biggest problem for Japan: territorial
dispute; arms buildup; strong economic power; differences in historical
perceptions; and use of information technology. The most common choice was territorial
dispute, at 31 percent. China has conducted aggressive maritime
activities around the Senkaku Islands, which are controlled by Japan as part
of Okinawa Prefecture. The second most common answer was military
buildup, cited by 27 percent, followed by strong economic power, at 18
percent. Twelve percent cited disparities in
historical perceptions, and 7 percent chose use of information technology. Of the respondents who were most concerned
about China’s arms buildup, 54 percent said they “greatly fear” Okinawa being
dragged into the contingency over Taiwan. Seventy-seven percent of the respondents
said Japan’s bilateral relations with the United States are more important
than its ties to China, compared with 7 percent who felt the Japan-China
relationship is more important. The survey was conducted by mailing
questionnaires to 2,000 randomly chosen eligible voters in the prefecture.
Valid responses were collected from 1,218, or 61 percent. (Asahi Shimbun) May 13, 2022 Source: https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14620323 742-43-02/Polls Less Than 60 Percent Of Respondents Expect South Korea’s New
President Will Do Well In His Presidency
Yoon Suk Yeol, a conservative political
neophyte, took office Tuesday as South Korea’s new president with a vow to
pursue a negotiated settlement of North Korea’s threatening nuclear program
and an offer of “an audacious plan” to improve its economy if it abandons its
nuclear weapons. Yoon is starting his single five-year term
during one of the most challenging situations of any recent new president,
facing a mix of significant security, economic and social problems that are
besetting the world’s 10th largest economy. There’s widespread skepticism
that an increasingly belligerent North Korea will give his offers much
consideration, and South Korea’s deep political and social divides, as well
as growing worry about the state of the pandemic-hit economy, are reflected
in a recent poll showing that Yoon faces lower popularity numbers than the
departing liberal president, Moon Jae-in. Yoon had promised a tougher stance on
North Korea during his campaign, but he avoided harsh rhetoric during
his inaugural speech amid growing worries that the North is preparing its
first nuclear bomb test in nearly five years. North Korea has rejected
similar overtures by some of Yoon’s predecessors that linked incentives to
progress in its denuclearization. “While North Korea’s nuclear weapons
programs are a threat, not only to our security but also to Northeast Asia,
the door to dialogue will remain open so that we can peacefully resolve this
threat,” Yoon told a crowd gathered outside parliament in Seoul. “If North Korea genuinely embarks on a
process to complete denuclearization, we are prepared to work with the
international community to present an audacious plan that will vastly
strengthen North Korea’s economy and improve the quality of life for its
people,” he said. Yoon also addressed South Korea’s growing
economic problems, saying the decaying job market and a widening rich-poor
gap are brewing a democratic crisis by stoking “internal strife and discord”
and fueling a spread of “anti-intellectualism.” He said he would spur economic growth to
heal the deep political divide and income equalities. North Korea’s advancing nuclear program is
a vexing security challenge for Yoon, who won the March 9
election on a promise to strengthen South Korea’s 70-year military
alliance with the United States and build up its own missile capability to
neutralize North Korean threats. In recent months, North Korea
has test-launched a spate of nuclear-capable missiles that could
target South Korea, Japan and the mainland United States. It appears to be
trying to rattle Yoon’s government while modernizing its weapons arsenal and
pressuring the Biden administration into relaxing sanctions. North Korean
leader Kim Jong Un recently warned that his nuclear weapons won’t be confined
to their primary mission of deterring war if the North’s national interests
are threatened. In a policy briefing earlier Tuesday, South
Korean military chief Won In-Choul told Yoon that North Korea can conduct a
nuclear test soon if Kim decides to do so. Yoon then ordered military commanders
to maintain firm readiness, saying that “the security situation on the Korean
Peninsula is very grave.” Analyst Cheong Seong-Chang at the private
Sejong Institute said there’s little chance North Korea will accept Yoon’s
conditional support plan because the North believes South Korea must first
abandon its hostile policies, by which it means regular military drills with
the United States, before talks can resume. Yoon must also deal with a destabilizing
U.S.-China rivalry and disputes over history with Japan. South Korea is also
bracing for the fallout of Russia’s war on Ukraine in global energy
markets. South Korea must accept that it cannot
force North Korea to denuclearize or ease the U.S.-China standoff, according
to Chung Jin-young, a professor at Kyung Hee University. He said South Korea
must instead focus on strengthening its defense capability and boosting the
U.S. alliance to “make North Korea never dare think about a nuclear attack on
us.” He said South Korea must also prevent ties with Beijing from worsening. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao
Lijian said Tuesday that Beijing is ready to work with Yoon’s government to
boost strategic partnership and jointly promote regional peace and stability.
China sent Vice President Wang Qishan to Yoon’s inauguration ceremony. Yoon didn’t mention Japan during his
speech. After the inauguration ceremony, he met visiting Japanese Foreign
Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, who told him that ties need to be urgently
repaired. Yoon expressed his willingness to work together with Japan to
improve their relations, according to Japan’s Foreign Ministry. During his campaign, he accused Moon of
exploiting Japan for domestic political reasons and stressed Tokyo’s
strategic importance. But some experts say Yoon could end up in the same
policy rut as Moon, considering the countries’ deep disagreements over
sensitive history issues such as Tokyo’s wartime mobilization of Korean
laborers and sex slaves. Some of Yoon’s major domestic policies may
face an impasse in parliament, which will remain controlled by liberal
lawmakers ahead of general elections in 2024. Yoon must also rebuild South
Korea’s pandemic response, shaken by a massive omicron surge in recent
months. He has also been denied a honeymoon period.
Surveys show less than 60 percent of respondents expect he will do well in
his presidency, an unusually low figure compared to his predecessors, who
mostly received about 80 percent-90 percent before they entered office. His
approval rating as a president-elect was 41 percent, according to a survey by
Gallup Korea released last week that put then President Moon’s rating at 45
percent. Yoon’s low popularity is blamed in part on
an acute divide between conservatives and liberals and on contentious
policies and Cabinet picks. Some experts say Yoon also hasn’t shown a clear
vision for how to navigate South Korea past the foreign policy and domestic
challenges. Yoon won the election by a historically
narrow margin after catering to public frustration over Moon’s setbacks in
economic policies, which were criticized for letting house prices and
personal debt soar out of control and failing to create enough jobs. Yoon
focused much of his message on young males who resented the loss of
traditional privileges in a hyper-competitive job market and their dimmed
prospects for marriage and parenthood, although his campaign was criticized
for ignoring the plight of women. “The challenges that Yoon has at the start
of his presidency are the toughest and the most unfavorable ones” among South
Korean presidents elected since the late 1980s, a period viewed as the start
of the country’s genuine democracy after decades of dictatorship, said Choi
Jin, director of the Seoul-based Institute of Presidential Leadership. In recent weeks, Yoon has invited
criticism--even from some of his conservative supporters--by moving his
offices from the mountainside Blue House presidential palace. Yoon said
moving to the capital’s center is meant to better communicate with the
public, but critics question why he has made it a priority when he has so
many other urgent issues to tackle. Yoon, 61, was prosecutor-general for Moon
before he resigned and joined the main conservative opposition party last
year following internal feuding with Moon’s political allies. (Asahi Shimbun) May 11, 2022 Source: https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14618211 742-43-03/Polls Marcos Jr. Won Philippine Presidency, With More Than 96 Percent Of
The Votes According To Unofficial Count
The namesake son of late Philippine
dictator Ferdinand Marcos appeared to have been elected Philippine president
by a landslide in an astonishing reversal of the 1986 “People Power”
pro-democracy revolt that booted his father into global infamy. Marcos Jr. had more than 30.5 million votes
in the unofficial results with more than 96 percent of the votes tabulated
overnight after Monday’s election. His nearest challenger, Vice President
Leni Robredo, a champion of human rights and reforms, had 14.5 million, and
boxing great Manny Pacquiao appeared to have the third highest total with 3.5
million. His running mate, Sara Duterte, the
daughter of the outgoing leader and mayor of southern Davao city, had a
formidable lead in the vice-presidential race, which is separate from the
presidential race. The alliance of the scions of two
authoritarian leaders combined the voting power of their families’ political
strongholds in the north and south but compounded worries of human rights
activists. Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte avoided
volatile issues during their campaign and steadfastly stuck instead to a
battle cry of national unity, even though their fathers’ presidencies opened
some of the most turbulent divisions in the country’s history. Marcos Jr. has not claimed victory but
thanked his supporters in a late-night “address to the nation” video, where
he urged them to stay vigilant until the vote count is completed. “If we’ll be fortunate, I’ll expect that
your help will not wane, your trust will not wane because we have a lot of
things to do in the times ahead,” he said. Robredo has not conceded defeat but
acknowledged the massive Marcos Jr. lead in the unofficial count. She told
her supporters the fight for reforms and democracy won’t end with the elections. “The voice of the people is getting clearer
and clearer,” she said. “In the name of the Philippines, which I know you
also love so dearly, we should hear this voice because in the end, we only
have this one nation to share.” She asked her supporters to continue to
stand up: “Press for the truth. It took long for the structure of lies to be
erected. We have the time and opportunity now to fight and dismantle this.” The election winner will take office on
June 30 for a single, six-year term as leader of a Southeast Asian nation hit
hard by two years of COVID-19 outbreaks and lockdowns and long-troubled by
crushing poverty, gaping inequalities, Muslim and communist insurgencies and
deep political divisions. The next president will also likely face
demands to prosecute outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte for thousands of
killings during his anti-drug crackdown--deaths already under investigation
by the International Criminal Court. On Tuesday, Human Rights Watch called for
the apparent election winner Marcos Jr. to improve the human rights situation
in the Philippines. “He should declare an end to the ‘war on drugs’ that has
resulted in the extrajudicial killing of thousands of Filipinos and order the
impartial investigation and appropriate prosecution of officials responsible
for these unlawful killings,” said Phil Robertson, the group’s deputy
director for Asia. Marcos Jr., a 64-year-old former provincial
governor, congressman and senator, held a wide lead in pre-election surveys.
But Robredo had tapped into shock and outrage over the prospect of a Marcos
recapturing the seat of power and harnessed a network of campaign volunteers
to underpin her candidacy. After his ouster by the largely peaceful
1986 uprising, the elder Marcos died in 1989 while in exile in Hawaii without
admitting any wrongdoing, including accusations that he, his family and
cronies amassed an estimated $5 billion to $10 billion while he was in power.
A Hawaii court later found him liable for human rights violations and awarded
$2 billion from his estate to compensate more than 9,000 Filipinos who filed
a lawsuit against him for torture, incarceration, extrajudicial killings and
disappearances. His widow, Imelda Marcos, and their
children were allowed to return to the Philippines in 1991 and worked on a
stunning political comeback, helped by a well-funded social media campaign to
refurbish the family name. Marcos Jr. has defended the legacy of his
father and steadfastly refused to acknowledge and apologize for the massive
human rights violations and plunder under his father’s strongman rule. Officials said Monday’s election was
relatively peaceful despite pockets of violence in the country’s volatile
south that killed at least four people in the country’s volatile south.
Thousands of police and military personnel were deployed to secure election
precincts, especially in rural regions with a history of violent political
rivalries. Filipinos stood in long lines to cast their
ballots, with the start of voting delayed by a few hours in a few areas due
to malfunctioning vote machines, power outages, bad weather and other
problems. Aside from the presidency, more than 18,000
government posts were on the ballot, including half of the 24-member Senate,
more than 300 seats in the House of Representatives, as well as provincial
and local offices across the archipelago. In the 2016 vice presidential race, Robredo
defeated Marcos Jr. by a narrow margin in their first political faceoff. He
waged a years-long legal battle against her victory, alleging fraud, that got
defeated but he never conceded. (Asahi Shimbun) May 10, 2022 Source: https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14617300 742-43-04/Polls Thai Twitter Users Mostly Excited About The Platform’s Acquisition By
Elon Musk
Two weeks after Twitter announced that they have entered into a
definitive agreement to be acquired by tech mogul and billionaire Elon Musk, latest data from YouGov RealTime Omnibus indicates Thai Twitter users (defined
as those who say they are a member of the platform) were feeling positive
about the new leadership. Four in ten users were excited about the
acquisition (39%) – with men significantly more likely to say so (43%) –
while a further one in ten happy to hear the news (10%). After excitement, Thai Twitter users next
most likely to express surprise. Women were more likely to be of this
opinion, with a quarter saying so (24%). A fewer one in ten of overall Twitter users
expressed worry (8%), while one in six said they were unaware of the
announcement (16%) – almost half of which were aged 45 and above (40%).
Despite the largely positive sentiment
toward the acquisition, four in ten Twitter users who were aware of, and had
a reaction (i.e., were either surprised, worried, happy, angry, sad, etc.)
to, the news said they would modify their behaviour to share select opinions
on the platform (39%). A further one in six said they will post
less (16%), while a slightly smaller proportion will take more drastic action
to switch to other social media platforms and not engage with Twitter (13%).
Young adults aged 18-24 are most likely to do the latter, with one in five saying
they would switch platforms (19%). Conversely, another one in eight say the
change in leadership will enable them to post more on the platform (13%).
Those above the age of 55 felt most strongly about this, with one in five
agreeing (17%).
When Twitter users were asked how the
potential removal of moderation would affect the future of the platform,
almost half agreed that this would facilitate healthy debates and free speech
(43%). Meanwhile, an additional third said it
might result in the propagation of hate speech and misinformation (31%).
Women are significantly more likely to think the platform will develop this
way, with almost four in ten saying so (36%). Another fifth said this would not have any
drastic impact (17%), while a final one in ten are unsure (9%).
(YouGov Thailand) May 9, 2022 Source: https://th.yougov.com/en-th/news/2022/05/09/thai-twitter-users-mostly-excited-about-platforms-/ 742-43-05/Polls 6 In 10 Businesses (56%) Report Not Being Visited By Tax Officials
According to a survey conducted by Gallup
& Gilani Pakistan, 6 in 10 businesses (56%) report not being visited by
tax officials. The complete report for the Business Confidence Survey Q1 2022
can be accessed here. A nationally representative sample of adult men and
women from across the four provinces was asked the following question, “Over
the last year, was this establishment visited or inspected by tax officials
or required to meet with them?”. In response to this question in Q1 2022, 56%
said no, 38% said yes, 5% didn’t know and 1% gave no response. Question:
“Over the last year, was this establishment visited or inspected by tax
officials or required to meet with them?”
Breakdown by Business Type Slightly more
product businesses (40%) as compared to services businesses (37%) have been
visited or inspected by tax officials or met with them.
Provincial Breakdown More businesses from
Punjab (41%) were inspected by/visited by tax officials or met with them as
compared to those from Sindh (27%)
(Gallup Pakistan) May 10, 2022 Source: https://gallup.com.pk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/10-May-2022-English-5.pdf WEST
EUROPE
742-43-06/Polls Britons Are Split On The Issue Of Compulsory Voting, With 45% In
Favour Of The Policy And 42% Opposed
Compulsory voting is the legal requirement in some countries that
eligible citizens must register and vote at elections. Australia’s
compulsory voting system is perhaps the most famous, although Belgium,
Argentina and Brazil also enforce compulsory voting for their
citizens. In these countries, failing to vote can be punished with a fine,
although you
can spoil your ballot with no penalty. Proponents of compulsory voting say it improves access to voting;
improves the calibre of candidate choices; and gives governments elected by
the system a stronger political mandate. Opponents say compulsory voting would restrict freedom of choice, as
voting is a right that citizens should not be compelled to exercise; would
not incentivise politicians to inspire voters; and that forcing people to
vote does not translate into an engaged electorate. Britons are split on the issue of compulsory voting, with 45% in
favour of the policy and 42% opposed. Labour voters are more likely than
Conservative voters to support compulsory voting (57% vs 48%), and older
Britons are also more likely to support the policy than younger Britons, by
57% for those 65 and older to 38% among 18-24 year olds.
Support for compulsory voting has declined since YouGov last
asked the British public in 2015. Then, 55% were in favour of compulsory
voting and 37% opposed – although the date of the last survey (7-8 April) was
only a month before the 2015 general election, which may have had an impact.
One in five Britons say it is not a duty to
vote Is voting a right, or a duty? While Britons are split on whether they
would support being legally required to take part in elections, seven in ten
Britons (71%) believe they have a duty to vote. Around one in five (19%)
believe people do not have a duty to vote in general elections.
Older Britons are considerably more likely than younger Britons to
believe that voting is a duty, although the majority of younger Britons do
still feel that they have a duty to participate in elections. Approaching
nine in 10 of those aged 65 and older (86%) say voting is a duty, compared to
58% of 18 to 24-year-olds. As with support for compulsory voting, Britons are slightly less
likely now to think voting is a duty than they were in 2015, when 80% thought
this. (YouGov UK) May 10, 2022 742-43-07/Polls ‘Beergate’ Seems To Have Had No Negative Impact On Keir Starmer’s
Reputation
In a week that should have seen Keir Starmer celebrating Labour’s local
election wins, the leader of the opposition has instead found himself at
the centre of a
police investigation. Police in Durham are now re-investigating whether a shared meal of curry
and beer after a
day on the campaign trail in May 2021 was a violation of the
lockdown rules. While indoor working was allowed at the time, socialising was
not, leaving Starmer at risk of receiving a fixed penalty notice. Given his calls for Boris Johnson to resign over his
own ‘Partygate’ police fine, Starmer has pledged
to hand in his notice if he is issued one himself. Much has been
made by Labour politicians of Keir Starmer’s reputation for integrity,
and his
defenders have referred to him as ‘Mr Rules’ in regard to adhering
to COVID laws. This does not appear to have gone unnoticed by the public, as
new YouGov data shows 41% of the public think of Starmer as principled, while
only 23% think of him as unprincipled. Of the six attributes we asked about,
this is the one on which Starmer performs most favourably. This is vastly different from Boris Johnson, who is seen as
unprincipled by 65% to 14%. Even among 2019 Conservative voters, only 32% see
the prime minister as a man of principle, with 45% saying the opposite.
Indeed, these Tory voters are more likely to think Johnson is unprincipled
than Starmer (37%). Starmer’s standing with the public they do not seem to have worked.
In fact, public opinion of Starmer has improved in some areas since
mid-April. The Labour leader still tends to be seen as competent (40%) rather
than incompetent (32%), with the former up five points from 35% and the
latter unchanged. These figures also put him well ahead of his rival, with
only 25% of the public seeing Johnson as competent compared to 63% who say he
is competent. Despite the public leaning toward thinking Starmer is untrustworthy
by 36% to 31%, accusations
of lying over Beergate seem yet to stick, with these figures
unchanged since the last survey. Furthermore, the public are substantially
more likely to think Starmer is trustworthy than Johnson (12%), who is seen
as untrustworthy by 72% of people, including half of 2019 Conservative voters
(51%). While the proportion of people who see Starmer as decisive has risen
seven points, from 24% to 31%, Britons still tend (38%) to think he is
indecisive. This compares with 28% who see Boris Johnson as decisive and 60%
who think him unable to make a quick decision. Strength is Starmer’s weakest attribute, with only 25% of Britons
considering him so versus 43% who perceive him as weak. Britons are slightly
more likely to see Johnson as strong (31%) but are also more likely to regard
him as weak (52%). While Starmer has seen no decline across the above attributes, the
Beergate stories may be slightly eroding Britons’
belief that Starmer generally stuck to the lockdown rules. Last week
Britons thought he did so by 42% to 28%. However, that gap has now narrowed,
with the number who think he generally stuck to the rules dropping four
points to 38%, and the number who think he did not increasing four points to
32%. Finally, Starmer continues to be seen as the better choice for prime
minister, by 33% to Boris Johnson’s 26%. While 59% of 2019 Conservative
voters think Johnson is the better choice, one in eleven (9%) say Starmer
would make the better leader.
(YouGov UK) May 12, 2022 742-43-08/Polls Half Of Britons Think It Is Likely The Uk Will Get No Points In The
66th Eurovision Song Contest Final
In a new survey by Ipsos, half (50%) of Britons think that the UK
will once again receive no points (nul points) from the Grand Final of
the Eurovision Song Contest being held on Saturday the 14th May in
Turin, Italy. This is despite the fact that the current UK act Sam Ryder is
second favourite to win according to the bookmakers. Even among those who are
likely to watch the Eurovision, there remains much pessimism with just over
half (53%) thinking no points is likely.
Ukraine’s chances of Eurovision victory on the other hand are viewed
as strong, as62% think it is likely Ukraine will win. There is though perhaps
some recognition of the buzz around Sam Ryder and the reshuffle of the UK’s
selection process as around a quarter (27%) of potential Eurovision watchers
think the UK could win, although 6 in 10 are still pessimistic (and amongst
the public as a whole, only 11% are optimistic for the UK’s chances).
The Eurovision continues to attract viewers. Three in ten (29%) of
Britons think it is likely they will watch the Eurovision this year. 25-34
year olds are most likely to watch the Eurovision with two in five (43%)
thinking it is likely they will watch compared to one in five of 45-75 year
olds. Of those who think it is likely they will watch the Eurovision Grand
Final voting is the most common engagement (42% among likely watchers)
followed by attending or hosting a Eurovision party (33%). (Ipsos MORI) 13 May 2022 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/12-points-to-what-britons-think-about-uks-eurovision-chances 742-43-09/Polls Health Crisis, War In Ukraine, Decline In Purchasing Power: French
Point Of View
During the first edition of this barometer in 2020, when the first confinement
had just ended, the French expressed their desire to commit to a new, more
responsible and more united world. The second edition confirmed that
this momentum had resulted in an increase in donations in 2020, donations
that the French were planning to increase further during 2021. But what about
today, more than two years after the start of the health crisis? How is
generosity expressed in a context marked by the war in Ukraine and inflation,
against the backdrop of an electoral campaign? Key figures of the study All the French
High earners
In 2021, the drop in donations signals the
end of the momentum of solidarity linked to the health crisis The proportion of donors rose from 51% to 48%
in 2 years for all French people, but increased by 3 points to 80% among high
earners. Almost half of French people say they have
made at least one donation in 2021 (48%), about as many as in 2020 (49%), but
slightly less than in 2019 (51%) . In the
medium term, this indicator is therefore slightly down, which can be partly
explained by the loss of purchasing power resulting from the return of
inflation.
" This 10-point increase
in young donors reflects their strong desire to contribute to the action of
foundations and associations, which is encouraging for the future " according to Stéphane Dauge, Director of
Communication, Benefactor Relations and Resources of the Fondation Apprentis
d' Auteuil. The declared amounts of donations are much
lower in 2021 than in 2020. After a particular year in 2020, marked by a sharp increase in the
amount of donations (and more particularly very high donations), the latter
are decreasing to return to levels close to those before the health
crisis. The surge of solidarity linked
to the crisis will therefore not have lasted in the end.
"The French had massively
responded to the calls resulting from the needs arising from the first
confinement and the plunge into the health crisis. Even remaining solely
on donations that have been declared by taxable households, Bercy noted, in
respect of 2020 tax returns and for the first time since 2013, a cumulative
increase in the number of households having declared a donation (4.9M; +3.4%)
and the average amount of declared donations, increased from €550 to
€570. At the end of 2021, the time of year most conducive to generosity,
concerns about purchasing power, stemming in particular from the rise in
energy prices, certainly weighed on donations that many associative actors
say have come down at the level of 2019. The Apprentis d'Auteuil Foundation,
for its part," analyzes
Stéphane Dauge. The multiplication of crises reinforces
solidarity of circumstances, but undermines donations for other causes Faced with the Ukrainian crisis, the French
are showing solidarity and generosity. Confronted with this war in Eastern Europe, the French have massively
expressed their solidarity, in particular through donations.
…but due to their donations to Ukraine,
some French people plan to donate less than usual to other causes. If the Ukrainian crisis (like the health crisis before), has awakened
a new surge of solidarity and generosity among the French, the multiplication
of crises could in part undermine more "traditional" forms of
solidarity. Thus, for a part - which remains a minority - of the French,
exceptional donations compete with "usual" donations. In
detail, among French people who
donated in 2021, 1 in 5 plans to donate less than usual for other causes because
they have donated or plan to donate for Ukrainians (20%). The finding is
even more marked for donors with high
incomes, of whom more than 2 in 5 plan to reduce their donationsfor
other causes because they have made (or plan to make) a donation for
Ukrainians (41%). Stéphane Dauge observes that " this outpouring of generosity testifies to the fact
that the French are there when a crisis occurs. In an anxiety-provoking
context where deep crises follow one another, it is essential that the
concerns linked to inflation and the steep increases in the cost of many
basic necessities do not doubly penalize the most vulnerable among us. ” However, concerns about health, the
situation of the poorest and young people remain very strong. In terms of solidarity, recurring themes are still a
concern. Thus health and medical research remain at the top of the
causes for which the French want to donate (32%), ahead of help for the poor
and emergency situations (tied at 27%), the defense of animals (20 %)
and childhood, youth and education
(17%, in 3 rd position at 37% for high incomes). Moreover, while 56% of high earners believe that the question of the
future of young people is sufficiently addressed in the current political
debate, nearly three out of four French people consider it insufficiently
mentioned (74%). According to Stéphane Dauge, " the future of young people, which is at the heart of the advocacy
carried out by the Apprentis d'Auteuil Foundation, remains a concern shared
by all French people. We will of course continue to raise awareness among our
future leaders and parliamentarians on this. ” Donations that could be doubly affected by
inflation Stable donation intentions for 2022. In the first quarter of 2022, the share of donors, driven by
solidarity for Ukraine, was up compared to the same period in 2021 (29%, +4
points and 63%, +12 points among high incomes) . As for donation
intentions for the rest of the year, they are stable for the general public
(50%) and on the rise for high earners (82%, +5 points). Ultimately, the majority of French people (54%,
stable vs 2021) and 84% of high earners (+3 points) gave or plan to give in
2022. A quarter of donors plan to give less in
2022 than in 2021, which is primarily the result of the decline in purchasing
power. While the majority of high-income donors plan to give higher amounts
in 2022 than in 2021 (57%, +9 points vs 2021), the other donors are more
divided. Thus, 25% (+8 points) of
French people intend to give less, or even no longer give this year, which
they justify above all by the drop in purchasing power (57%) and fear of
inflation ( 36%). Ultimately, donations could be doubly affected by inflation: both
because some donors intend to give less and because the costs of associations
could increase. High earners feel better informed about the
taxation of donations High earners consider themselves “well” or
even “very well” informed about the taxation of donations… Most French people with high incomes consider themselves well
informed about the tax advantages linked to gifts, donations and legacies to
charities (85%) and almost half even believe that they are "very
well" informed about this. subject (46%, +10 points in 1 year). The press still plays a major role in disseminating
information on the tax advantages linked to donations (30%
cite it as their main source of information on this subject), even ahead of
the tax authorities (25%) and bank advisers (19%). … in particular concerning the raising of
the tax exemption ceiling for donations. Among the wealthiest French people, seven out of ten say they know that the 75% deduction limit on their
income tax has increased from €552 to €1,000 since 2020 (70%,
+8 points vs 2021 and +16 points vs 2020) against only 45% of French people
as a whole (+6 points vs 2021 and +18 points vs 2020). For French people
with high incomes, the increase in
awareness of this device seems to have had a crucial role since
more than a third of them (35%, + 8 points, i.e. half of those who are aware
of the device ) say it affects the amount of their donations. Given the
drop in the amount of donations in 2021, it therefore seems more important
than ever to recall the renewal of the increase in the tax exemption ceiling. " This good knowledge of
the raising of the 75% deduction ceiling by French people with high incomes,
which undeniably had an impact on their generosity, however took two years to
settle, which illustrates the importance of to preserve, in the years to come,
a stability of the taxation on donations " underlines
Stéphane Dauge. (Ipsos France) May 12, 2022 742-43-10/Polls 77 Percent Of Consumers Are Increasingly Worried About Rising Energy
Prices
The war in Ukraine, a growing inflation rate and rising energy prices
are currently causes for concern among many German consumers. A YouGov
survey shows that since the beginning of the war, almost eight out of ten
Germans (77 percent) have become increasingly worried about high energy
prices.
Concerns are mounting, especially among
older consumers The results show that concern is particularly high in the 55+ age
group: the majority of this age group are increasingly worried about the high
level of energy prices (82 percent). But younger consumers, such as
Generation Z, are also increasingly worried (71 percent). The data also
shows that German women are more concerned overall, with 80 percent becoming
increasingly concerned, while only 73 percent of men make the same statement. Geographically,
there are also clear differences within Germany, while in the western federal
states almost eight out of ten consumers (79 percent) are increasingly
concerned about the development of energy prices, consumers in the eastern
federal states appear to be somewhat more positive, only 71 percent of those
surveyed indicated that they were concerned. Which energy alternatives are advocated? Among the numerous measures that could be taken to make Germany less
dependent on Russian gas, the greater majority of Germans (73 percent)
support the faster expansion of renewable energies. Alternatives such as
expanding the proportion of biogas (62 percent), a requirement for minimum
fill levels for gas storage (58 percent) and postponing the phase-out of nuclear
power beyond 2022 (57 percent) are also seen as possible paths to energy
independence. Almost half of the consumers (55 and 56 percent
respectively) are convinced of a later phase-out of coal and liquid gas as an
alternative source of supply. On the other hand, only 35 percent of
Germans are in favor of stopping the installation of gas and oil heating
systems.
A look at the age groups shows not only predictable trends but also
unexpected differences: almost eight out of ten people over 55 (77 percent)
are in favor of a faster expansion of renewable energies, compared to only 65
percent of 18 to 24 year olds. With regard to a later phase-out of coal
and the postponement of the nuclear phase-out, however, the negative attitude
of the younger generations becomes very clear. Among the 18 to 24 year
olds, only 37 and 42 percent support this, in the age group over 55 years it
is 65 and 64 percent respectively. There are also regional differences in the views of consumers when it
comes to alternative energy measures. In the western federal states, 76
percent of consumers are in favor of the faster expansion of renewable
energies, in the eastern federal states the approval rate is 65
percent. A majority of east German consumers support a later phase-out
of coal (61 percent), while only 53 percent in the west German states share
this opinion. (YouGov Germany) May 10, 2022 Source: https://yougov.de/news/2022/05/10/77-prozent-der-verbraucher-machen-sich-zunehmend-s/ NORTH
AMERICA
742-43-11/Polls Black And Hispanic Americans, Those With Less Education Are More
Likely To Fall Out Of The Middle Class Each Year
Economic status is not etched in stone. The loss of a job or an
unexpected illness may push a middle-class family down a notch on the
economic ladder. But fortunes can improve, too, with a graduation from
college or marriage to an earning partner lifting a lower-income adult into
the middle class. In the United States, the transience of economic status varies
significantly across racial and ethnic groups and by level of education,
according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of government data. Black and
Hispanic adults are more likely than White and Asian adults to move down the
income ladder – and less likely to move up it – from one year to the next.
Likewise, adults with lower levels of education are more likely than those
with more education to see economic regression and less likely to see
progression.
In 2021, half of American adults overall lived in
middle-income households. But about a third (32%) of those who were in
the middle-income tier in 2020 were no longer in that tier in 2021. These
adults were equally likely to have moved up to the upper-income tier or down
to the lower-income tier – 16% each in each direction – from 2020 to 2021.
Some 68% of adults who were in the middle-income tier in 2020 were still in
that tier in 2021, during the first year of the coronavirus
pandemic. The movement of adults from the middle-income tier to other income
tiers during the pandemic was consistent with recent trends. From 2000 to
2001, some 12% of middle-income adults moved up to the upper-income tier and
14% moved down to the lower-income tier. In the same period, 74% of
middle-income adults experienced no change in their economic status. Largely
similar rates of transition have prevailed during the entirety of the
2000-2021 timespan. Changes by race and ethnicity The share of adults who are in the middle class varies
modestly across racial and ethnic groups, ranging from 47% of both Black
and Asian adults to 49% of Hispanic adults and 52% of White adults in 2021.
While these shares were largely unchanged from 2020, there was considerable
movement of adults into and out of the middle class, with substantial
variation among racial and ethnic groups. From 2020 to 2021, around a fifth of Black (22%) and Hispanic (20%)
adults experienced a setback from the middle-income tier to the lower-income
tier, compared with 15% of White adults and 12% of Asian adults. At the same
time, only 8% of Hispanic adults and 12% of Black adults moved up from the
middle- to the upper-income tier, compared with 18% of White adults and 25%
of Asian adults.
The transitions from the middle-income tier that transpired in the
first year of the pandemic were similar to those seen since 2000. Over the
2000-2021 period, an average of about one-in-five Black and Hispanic adults
who were in the middle-income tier one year moved down to the lower-income
tier by the next year (21% in both groups). That compared with an average of
14% each of middle-income White and Asian adults who took a step down the
income ladder. Conversely, while 18% of Asian adults and 15% of White adults
moved up from the middle- to the upper-income tier in an average year, only
10% of Black adults and 8% of Hispanic adults experienced such progress.
At the lower end of the economic scale, Black and Hispanic adults
are almost
twice as likely as White and Asian adults to be in the lower-income
tier. They are also less likely to progress into the middle- or upper-income
tiers in any given year. From 2000 to 2021, some 26% of Black adults and 27%
of Hispanic adults, on average, moved up a tier or more from the lower-income
tier each year, compared with almost 40% of White and Asian adults. Not only are Black and Hispanic adults more entrenched in the
lower-income tier, they also have a more tenuous grip on the upper-income
tier. Currently, only 12% of Black adults and 10% of Hispanic adults live in
upper-income households. But, once in that tier, about half move down to the
middle- or lower-income tier in an average year. In contrast, White and Asian
adults are about two to three times as likely as Black and Hispanic adults to
live in upper-income households, and they are also more likely to stay there,
with about a third or a bit more moving down to a lower tier in an average
year. Changes by education level Financial well-being and economic stability are also strongly related
to education. In 2021, the share
of adults in the lower-income tier ranged from 13% among those with
at least a bachelor’s degree to 57% among those without a high school diploma
or its equivalent. Conversely, the share in the upper-income tier varied from
5% among those with less than a high school education to 39% among those with
at least a bachelor’s degree.
Those with less education are also more likely to slip down the
economic ladder from one year to the next. From 2000 to 2021, adults without
a high school diploma were about three times as likely as adults with at
least a bachelor’s degree to slip from the middle-income tier down to the
lower-income tier each year (28% vs. 9%, on average). Among middle-income
adults with only a high school diploma, an average of 18% took a step down
the economic ladder each year during that span, as did 14% of those with some
college education but no degree. Trends in progress from the middle- to the upper-income tier are
virtually the opposite. From 2000 to 2021, adults with at least a bachelor’s
degree were about three times as likely as those who did not finish high
school to move from the middle- to the upper-income tier each year (23% vs.
7%, on average). College graduates were also more likely than those with a
high school diploma only, or some college education but no degree, to move up
from the middle-income tier.
As is the case with racial and ethnic groups, economic transience is
even more prevalent among adults of different education levels in the lower-
and upper-income tiers. Among lower-income adults, an average of 53% of those
with at least a bachelor’s degree progressed to the middle- or upper-income
tier annually over the 2000-2021 period. But only 21% of those who did not
finish high school were able to take this step. Among upper-income adults, an
average of 60% of those with less than a high school education saw regression
to the middle- or lower-income tiers each year, compared with 29% of those
with at least a bachelor’s degree. The shuffling of adults across economic tiers is driven by the change
in their household income from one year to the next. Across racial and ethnic
groups and education levels, adults who moved up from the lower- to the
middle-income tier in the 2000-2021 timespan experienced a near doubling or
an even higher increase in their median household income in a typical year.
Those moving up from the middle- to the upper-income tier saw their household
income rise by 65% or more at the median. Adults who stepped down the ladder – from the middle- to the
lower-income tier or from upper- to middle-income – experienced about a 40%
to 55% loss in household income at the median in a typical year. The
magnitude of income gains or losses varied little across racial and ethnic
groups or across education groups. But the pattern of movement across income
tiers suggests that Black and Hispanic adults, as well as adults with less
education, were more likely than White and Asian adults, and Americans who
have more education, to experience a loss in income than a gain. (PEW) MAY 10, 2022 742-43-12/Polls 57% Of Americans Say Masks Should Be Required On Airplanes And Public
Transportation
A majority of U.S. adults (57%) say travelers on airplanes and public
transportation should be required to wear masks, according to a new Pew
Research Center survey. A smaller share (42%) say travelers should not be
required to wear masks in these situations.
In April, a federal judge in Florida struck
down the U.S. government’s mask mandate for planes and public
transportation. The Department of Justice is in the process of appealing
the decision, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is
recommending that people continue to wear masks in these settings. For now,
airlines and other businesses are able to set their own rules, with most
leaving mask-wearing optional. As has often been the case on policy questions about how to deal with
the coronavirus
outbreak, partisans are far apart in their views on this issue. A large
majority of Democrats and independents who lean to the Democratic Party (80%)
say travelers on airplanes and public transportation should be required to
wear masks. By contrast, 71% of Republicans and Republican leaners say
travelers should not be
required to wear masks. There are differences in views on mask requirements across a range of
other characteristics, including gender, age, vaccination status and level of
concern about getting COVID-19. A majority of U.S. adults who have received at least one dose of a COVID-19
vaccine (66%) say masks should be required for travelers on airplanes and
public transportation. Among those who have not received a COVID-19 vaccine,
just 25% think masks should be required. Even among the unvaccinated,
however, there are partisan differences in views: For instance, 60% of
unvaccinated Democrats think masks should be required for travelers on
airplanes and public transportation, but 12% of unvaccinated Republicans
think masks should be required. On a separate question in the new survey, Americans are now much less
likely than they were during earlier stages of the outbreak to say they’ve
been wearing a mask in public, as other public
polls have also found.
Overall, 30% say they’ve been wearing a mask inside stores and
businesses all or most of the time over the past month. About a quarter (23%)
say they’ve done this some of the time, and 44% say they have never or hardly
ever done this. In January, amid a surge in cases driven by the omicron
variant, 61%
of U.S. adults said they had been wearing a mask inside stores and
businesses all or most of the time. Democrats remain much more likely than Republicans to say they’ve
been wearing a mask frequently when inside stores and businesses (42% to
14%).
While mask-wearing among U.S. adults has become much less common in
recent months, relatively small shares say they are bothered when stores or
businesses require customers to wear a mask. About a third (32%) say it
bothers them a lot or some when stores and businesses require a mask for
service, but 68% say this bothers them not too much or not at all. The share
of adults who say they are bothered by business mask requirements is up just
4 percentage points since November 2020. Separately, there has been a sharp decline in the share of Americans
who say it bothers them when people around them in public settings do not
wear a mask. Overall, 37% of adults say it bothers them a lot or some when people
in public do not wear a mask around them; a much larger share (63%) say this
bothers them not too much or not at all. In November 2020, before COVID-19
vaccines were widely available, 72% said it bothered them a lot or some when
people around them in public did not wear a mask. As with other attitudes
around masks, there are large partisan gaps on these two measures, with
Democrats much more likely than Republicans to be bothered by people around
them not wearing
masks, and Republicans far more likely than Democrats to be bothered by
stores requiring masks. Beyond mask use for the coronavirus outbreak, a large share of
Americans express openness to wearing a mask to help deal with other
infectious diseases – namely, a cold or the flu, according to the new survey.
About seven-in-ten Americans (71%) say that if they were sick with a
cold or the flu, they would probably wear a mask in public, while 27% say
they would probably not. Public health officials have been evaluating whether
to recommend masks to help control the spread of the flu. A large majority of Democrats say they’d probably wear a mask in
public if they had a cold or the flu (85%). Republicans are much less likely
to say this; still, slightly more than half (53%) say they would probably
wear a mask. Those who have received a COVID-19 vaccine are much more likely than
those who have not to say they’d probably wear a mask if they had a cold or
the flu (78% to 47%). This pattern by vaccination status holds among both
Republicans and Democrats. (PEW) MAY 11, 2022 742-43-13/Polls A Majority Of Americans Favor Expanding Natural Gas Production To
Export To Europe
As much of Europe grapples with how to reduce its dependence on
Russian oil and gas, 61% of Americans say they would favor the United States
expanding production to export large amounts of natural gas to European
countries. A smaller share (37%) say they would oppose expanding natural gas
production to export to countries in Europe.
Seven-in-ten Republicans and Republican-leaning independents favor
exporting large amounts of natural gas to European countries, as do a
somewhat smaller majority of Democrats and Democratic leaners (55%), a new
Pew Research Center survey finds. In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, European countries,
including Germany and Italy, have announced plans to phase
out oil and gas imports from Russia – the largest supplier of energy
to Europe. The Biden administration has pledged to increase
natural gas exports to the European Union, though a large increase
in natural gas exports could
face challenges, including production timelines and existing pipeline and
export terminal capabilities. While the survey finds broad support for exporting natural gas to
Europe, the findings also underscore how potential impacts on domestic prices
are front-of-mind for large shares of Americans. Two-thirds (67%) say the impact on natural gas prices in the U.S.
should be a major consideration when it comes to whether the U.S. should
export large amounts of natural gas to European countries. Both those in
favor of and opposed to exporting U.S. natural gas to Europe agree that the
impact on domestic prices should be a major consideration. Prices rank ahead of other considerations, including the impact on
climate change and the Russian economy. About half (51%) say the impact on
climate change should be a major consideration when it comes to whether the
U.S. should export large amounts of natural gas to Europe. Those who oppose
increasing natural gas exports to Europe are more likely than those who favor
this to say that climate impacts should be a major consideration (64% vs.
44%). Climate
experts have raised concerns about the effects that President Joe
Biden’s plan to increase natural gas exports might have on the
administration’s climate goals.
The impact on the Russian economy is seen as less of a factor for
Americans: 33% say it should be a major consideration when it comes to
whether the U.S. should increase natural gas exports to European countries. A
separate Pew Research Center report released this week finds that 75%
of Americans approve of the U.S. placing strict economic sanctions
on Russia. The Pew Research Center survey of 10,282 U.S. adults conducted from
May 2 to 8, 2022, finds that Americans’ broader priorities for domestic
energy production remain largely stable since earlier in the year, despite
uncertainty in global energy markets driven by the war in Ukraine and rising
oil and gas prices in the U.S. A large majority of U.S. adults (67%) continue to say developing
alternative energy sources, such as wind and solar, should be the more
important priority for addressing America’s energy supply; roughly half as
many (32%) say the more important priority should be expanding the production
of oil, coal and natural gas. These views are little different than they were
in January. And when it comes to specific sources of energy production, large
majorities say they favor more solar panel farms (86%) and more wind turbine
farms (79%), consistent with the overall emphasis on renewable domestic
sources of production. However, partisan differences over the country’s energy priorities
are now as wide as they have been in recent years, largely reflecting a shift
among Republicans toward greater emphasis on fossil fuels during the Biden
administration. Within the last year, the shares of Republicans who support
more offshore oil and gas drilling as well as more hydraulic fracturing for
oil and gas have both increased. Impact on climate change a higher
consideration for Democrats than Republicans
Majorities of both Republicans and Democrats say the impact on
natural gas prices in the U.S. should be a major consideration when it comes
to whether to export natural gas to countries in Europe: 75% of Republicans
say this, as do a somewhat smaller 60% majority of Democrats. By comparison, Democrats (73%) are much more likely than Republicans
(24%) to say that the impact on climate change should be a major
consideration when it comes to whether the U.S. should export large amounts
of natural gas to European countries. Differences in views are especially wide between those at the ends of
the political spectrum: 81% of liberal Democrats say climate change should be
a major factor in such a decision, compared with just 16% of conservative
Republicans. Relatively smaller shares of both Democrats (37%) and Republicans
(30%) say that the impact on the Russian economy should be a major
consideration when it comes to whether to increase natural gas exports to
Europe. Americans continue to prioritize the
development of alternative energy over fossil fuels
A majority of Americans (67%) say that the more important priority
for the country is to develop alternative energy sources, such as wind and
solar. A smaller share (32%) say that the more important priority is to
expand the production of oil, coal and natural gas. These views are about the
same as they were in January, when 69% said developing alternative energy
sources such as wind and solar should be the more important priority for the
country. About nine-in-ten Democrats and Democratic leaners (88%) continue to
say the U.S. should prioritize the production of alternative energy sources,
consistent with views expressed in recent years. Among Republicans and Republican leaners, more say the U.S. should
prioritize the production of oil, coal and natural gas rather than
alternative sources such as wind and solar (59% vs. 41%). This balance of
opinion is about the same as it was in January. However, support for
prioritizing the development of alternative energy sources remains much lower
among Republicans than in May 2020, during the last year of the Trump administration.
At that time, about two-thirds (65%) of Republicans said developing
alternative sources like wind and solar should be the more important priority
for the U.S.
When asked about specific sources of energy individually, Americans
continue to express the broadest support for expanding wind and solar energy
production – consistent with the greater priority they assign to developing
alternative energy generally. Overall, 86% say they favor more solar panel farms and 79% favor more
wind turbine farms. A slight majority of Americans (54%) favor more nuclear power plants,
while 44% are opposed. Smaller shares of Americans favor more offshore oil and gas drilling
(48%) or more hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas (45%). However, the shares
of Americans who support more offshore drilling and fracking are both up
slightly from April of 2021 (by 5 and 4 percentage points,
respectively). See
the Appendix for details. Majorities of both Republicans and Democrats favor increasing the use
of solar and wind energy, although support for doing so remains lower among
Republicans than Democrats. Partisan differences over expanding oil and gas drilling and
hydraulic fracturing have edged wider in recent years. In the new survey, 76%
of Republicans favor more offshore oil and gas drilling, compared with 27% of
Democrats. Support for the increased use of nuclear power is up modestly among
both party groups over the last year, though Republicans remain more likely
to favor increasing the use of nuclear power (66%) than Democrats (48%). Few Americans know that the U.S. produces
most of the energy it uses
Most Americans are aware that the U.S. relies primarily on fossil
fuels to meet its energy needs. However, relatively few Americans know that
the U.S. produces most of the energy it uses within the country. Overall, 28% of Americans say correctly that the U.S. produces most
of the energy it uses inside of the U.S. Roughly a quarter (27%) say they’re
not sure where most of the energy that the U.S. uses is produced. The
remainder say either that the U.S. imports most of its energy (19%) or that
it produces about half and imports about half of the energy it uses (25%). The public is much more familiar with the type of energy the country
relies on. About three-quarters of Americans (74%) say correctly that the
U.S. relies mostly on fossil fuel sources such as oil, coal and natural gas
to meet its energy needs. Much smaller shares think the U.S. relies mostly on
renewable energy sources (5%) or nuclear power (3%); 17% say they are not
sure.
Americans with higher levels of formal education are more likely to
know that the U.S. produces most of the energy it uses inside of the U.S.
Still, this fact is not widely known even among those with the highest levels
of education. About a third (35%) of adults with a postgraduate degree
correctly say the U.S. produces most of the energy it uses within the
country, compared with 26% of those with a high school or less education. When it comes to U.S. reliance on fossil fuel sources, majorities
across all levels of education are aware that the country relies mostly on
fossil fuels. Those with a college degree or more education are somewhat more
likely than those with some college experience or less education to know
this. (PEW) MAY 12, 2022 742-43-14/Polls Amid Record Inflation, Eight In Ten (83%) Canadians Expect Large
Increases In The Cost Of Food
With Canada’s inflation rate soaring to levels not seen in over 30
years, a significant proportion of Canadians will have trouble making ends
meet in the months to come. A new Ipsos survey with the World Economic Forum, carried
out in eleven countries, reveals high levels of public economic pessimism in
the face of a worldwide cost of living crisis. Canada is no exception to this
trend, with nearly half of Canadians (49%) saying that inflation is a
top-three issue for them, as they brace for large increases in the cost of food
shopping, household shopping, and fuel in the coming year. Canadians Expect Higher Prices All Around,
Particularly for Food Thinking about the next year, Canadians largely believe the cost of
living will increase across the board. They believe they will be hit with
rises in not only the rate of inflation (79%), but also interest rates (79%)
as central banks try to reign in said inflation, and taxes (65%) as
governments try to raise money for inventions in the economy. However, not
everything will go up; over four in ten (42%) say they believe the amount of
disposable income they have will decrease and
two in ten (22%) would say the same about their own standard of living. Canadians are expected to be a lot more price sensitive across all
categories as they contemplate how to manage their household finances in the
near future. Eight in ten (83%) say they expect the amount they spend for
food shopping will increase either ‘a lot’ or ‘a little’, followed by general
household shopping (77%), fuel costs (75%), utilities (75%), and socializing
(68%). As for their ability to cope with these increases, eight in ten (81%)
say they are either ‘very concerned’ or ‘fairly concerned’ about their
personal financial situation in the next six months in terms of being able to
cope with the costs of goods and services increasing. They are also concerned
about their ability to buy the things they are used to buying (60%), pay
their bills (52%), and pay their utilities (48%). No wonder then, nearly
two-thirds say that the increase in food costs will have the most negative
impact on their quality of life. Blaming the Pandemic and Global Economy,
Canadians Have No Choice But to Find Ways to Cut Back As for the reason behind these increases, over three-quarters of
Canadians point the finger at the pandemic (79%) and the global economy
(78%). Canadians also believe that the Russia/Ukraine war (71%) is
responsible, followed by excessive business profits (68%), national policies
(65%), and interest rates (63%). Relatively smaller proportions say they
would blame workers’ pay rises (47%) and immigration (43%) for the increase
in cost of living. Given that the perceived reasons behind these increases are well
beyond the control of any one government or country, Canadians have resigned
themselves to tightening their belts to make ends meet. Canadians are most
likely to say that if rising prices meant that they could no longer afford
their normal lifestyle, they would spend less money on socializing (51%),
followed by delaying large purchases (47%), and spending less money on other
household shopping (44%). Other ways in which Canadians say they would cut
back include:
As Canadians react to higher prices by cutting discretionary
spending, avoiding spending on luxuries, and delaying big purchase decisions,
the unfortunate reality is likely to be even worse than they expect. There is
the possibility that as the squeeze continues, the public move from cutting
spending to demanding pay rises (either from their current employer or moving
to a new, higher-paying job), triggering the start of a wage-price spiral. (Ipsos Canada) 11 May 2022 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/en-ca/news-polls/Eight-Ten-Canadians-Expect-Large-Increases-Cost-Food 742-43-15/Polls Canadians Cutting Back On Dining Out (54%) And Entertainment (46%) To
Save Money Amidst Decades-High Inflation
Canadians are employing a wide variety of tactics in order to save
money and protect their household finances against an inflation rate
approaching 7%, according to a new Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of Global
News. The most common strategies that Canadians report employing in 2022 in
order to deal with the higher cost of living include: cutting back on dining
out (54%), looking at flyers for sales (51%), putting off new purchases like
clothing (47%), cutting back on entertainment (46%) and using a couponing or
sale app to save money (31%). Other ways that Canadians are trimming their household budget
include: cutting back on both international (33%) and domestic travel (31%) –
no doubt grudgingly given many haven’t travelled in more than two years,
switching their regular grocery store for one they think is cheaper (26%),
eating less meat (24%), buying fewer fresh fruits and vegetables (22%), and
carpooling more or taking fewer car trips (18%) in order to save on gas. Some are resorting to even more drastic measures in order to make
ends meet. One in eight (13%) have started using money that they were setting
aside for retirement, and one in twelve (8%) have delayed or did not renew a
medical prescription, rising to 14% among those aged 18-34. Parents with children in their household have also had to scale back
the amount of money they spend on their children:
Overall, just 14% of Canadians have not employed any of these tactics
and have continued to spend their money as they did prior to these
inflationary times. The data also reveal that certain groups of people are more likely to
be cutting back on different things:
Perhaps not surprisingly, Canadians in the lowest income threshold
studied – those whose household earns less than $40K per year, are more
likely than the average Canadian to be cutting back in a number of ways,
including on dining out (60% of those under $40K vs. 54% national average),
looking at flyers for sales (57% vs. 51%), eating less meat (31% vs. 24%),
eating fewer fresh fruits and vegetables (27% vs. 22%), and putting of
purchases like clothing (56% vs. 47%). Women are also more likely than men to have changed their behaviour
amidst rising inflation, including switching grocery stores (30% vs. 22%),
looking at flyers for sales (55% vs. 46%), eating less meat (27% vs. 21%),
eating less fresh fruit and vegetables (25% vs. 18%), and putting off
purchases like new clothing (52% vs. 41%). (Ipsos Canada) 12 May 2022 AUSTRALIA
742-43-16/Polls Bendigo Bank Home Loan Customers Are The Most Satisfied With Their
Bank, Followed By Ing, Macquarie And Suncorp
The other top five banks were close behind
with customer satisfaction ratings among home loan customers at 89.6% for
ING, 86.4% for Macquarie, 86.2% at Suncorp and 84.6% at Bankwest. Of these
the biggest improvers were Macquarie, up 7.8% points on a year ago and
Suncorp, which was up 3.2% points. The latest data covers the six months to
March 2022 and overall home loan customer satisfaction amongst Australia’s
top 12 banks collectively was at 78.6% during this period. This represents a
decrease of 1% point from a year ago (six months to March 2021), which
included a period in which there was still significant financial support
being offered to hundreds of thousands of home loan customers in the form of
deferred loans. In mid-2020 nearly 450,0001 home
loans were deferred as customers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic took an
initial payment pause. During the next few months these mortgagors resumed
home loan payments and by early in 2021 over 95% of these home loans had
resumed loan payments. In March 2022 CBA again had the highest
home loan customer satisfaction among the big four banks, with a rating of
77.8%. Average home loan customer satisfaction with the big four banks as a
group was 76.2%. Customer satisfaction ratings of home loan
banking customers: March 2021 cf. March 2022
________________________________________________________________________ Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says Bendigo
Bank has been the standout performer over the last year with an increase in
home loan customer satisfaction to a market-leading 91.2% giving Australia’s
fifth largest retail bank the edge over its rivals: “Home loan customer satisfaction for
Australia’s top 12 banks was at 78.6% in March 2022, down slightly from a
year ago in March 2021 (79.6%) but still up significantly from February 2020
(74.8%) – the month before Australia went into a nationwide lockdown at the
beginning of the pandemic. “The high home loan customer satisfaction during
the past two years, and the worst public health crisis in over a century,
illustrates the importance of the response by banks to support borrowers who
faced a sudden loss of income due to the restrictions imposed throughout the
country. “The financial support provided by
government, along with the ‘mortgage holidays’ provided to borrowers facing
financial stress by banks and financial companies, has helped keep the
Australian economy performing strongly and supported the housing market
during this crucial period. “The latest home loan customer satisfaction
rankings show Bendigo Bank has emerged from the two years of the pandemic
with the highest – and rising – home loan customer satisfaction of all at
91.2% - an increase of 1.3% points on a year ago. The other banks to
experience an increase in customer satisfaction were Macquarie in third place
on 86.4%, up 7.6% points on a year ago and Suncorp on 86.2%, up 3.2% points
on March 2021. “There were several other banks with highly
impressive home loan customer satisfaction ratings including ING on 89.6%,
Bankwest on 84.6%, St. George on 80.5% and Commonwealth Bank on 77.8% - the
highest rating of any of the ‘big four’ banks. “As we head further into 2022 there are new
challenges facing those with home loans and their banking and financial
institutions – rising inflation and interest rate increases. “This week the RBA raised interest official
interest rates by 0.25% points to 0.35% - the first time the RBA increased
the cash rate in over a decade since November 2010. Many current mortgagors
have never experienced a cycle of increasing interest rates and the increase
in payments they are facing will be a new experience for many. “The latest ABS CPI (Consumer Price Index) figure for the 12
months to March 2022 showed Australian inflation rising to a 20-year high of
5.1% - and it’s
expected to continue increasing over the next few months. The expectation of
higher inflation to come means the RBA is set to deliver a series of interest
rate increases during the remainder of 2022 and mortgage payments will
increase each month the RBA adjusts the official cash rate higher. “The last time the RBA increased interest
rates was over a one-year period from October 2009 – November 2010 after the
Global Financial Crisis of 2008-09. The RBA increased interest rates from a
GFC ‘emergency low’ of 3% seven times, and by a total of 1.75% points, to a decade
high of 4.75%. “If the RBA increases interest rates by a
similar amount during the next year, CoreLogic2 estimates the
average monthly loan cost for a new owner occupier borrower of an average
priced house will increase by almost $670 per month – rising to around $720
per month for someone in Melbourne and just over $1,000 per month for someone
in Sydney – Australia’s most expensive housing market. “The prospect of high inflation, increasing
interest rates and rising mortgage loan repayments for millions of
Australians during the next year provides a new challenge for many but also
presents new opportunities for banks and financial institutions to appeal to
customers who may be unhappy with their current mortgagee and looking for an
alternative.” (Roy Morgan) May 12
2022 Source: https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/8946-home-loan-satisfaction-march-2022-202205120158 MULTICOUNTRY
STUDIES
742-43-17/Polls Football Biggest Movers – Among 5 Countries
Buzz: PSG is the club with the strongest
growth in France in April 2022 (+13.3 points) Thanks to its draw at
home against Lens (1-1) on April 23 during the 34th day of Ligue 1, PSG is
guaranteed to win its tenth title of champion of France. The Parisians
thus equal AS Saint-Etienne. Note also the progress of OM (+5.9), Liverpool (+4.7), Arsenal (+3.3)
and Monaco (+3.1). In England, Chelsea's
Buzz score is skyrocketing (+19.6). Liverpool (+6.4), Manchester City
(+5.8), PSG (+2.2) and Fulham (+2.2) complete the top 5 for the month of
April. In Spain , Villarreal clinched the top
spot with a 10.3 point increase in their score from Buzz. This score
seems to be linked to the team's fine run in the Champions League, up to the
semi-final. PSG (+6.9), Arsenal (+5.3), Real Sociedad (+4.1) and Real
Valladolid (+3.8) also recorded good progress. In Germany ,
Eintracht Frankfurt (+6.7) claim first place, followed by Leipzig (+5.6),
Liverpool (+4.2), Real Madrid (+3.9) and Chelsea (+3.8). In Italy ,
Inter Milan plays its last cards to hope to be crowned champion of
Italy. It is the club which progressed the most clearly in April
(+12.9). PSG (+5.6), Bologna (+3.8), AS Roma (+3.7) and Salernitana
(+2.9) complete the Top 5. (YouGov France) May 9, 2022 Source: https://fr.yougov.com/news/2022/05/09/football-biggest-movers-avril/ 742-43-18/Polls Climate Change Is A Regular Concern For Half (48%) Of People Globally
In 30 Countries
Key findings
Seven in 10 (68%) are concerned about the impacts already being seen
in their country, especially in South Africa and Chile, while a similar
proportion (70%) worry about effects already seen in other
countries. The public believe there is a shared responsibility among government
(77%), businesses (76%) and individuals (74%) to tackle climate change. Some
business sectors are seen as having a greater responsibility for reducing
their contribution to climate change – particularly energy companies (82%),
car manufacturers (80%), airlines (77%) and public transport providers
(77%). The public recognise that the onus to reduce carbon emissions sits
firmly on the shoulders of the individual. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of
those surveyed agree that individuals are responsible for reducing their
contribution to climate change by reducing carbon emission. The highest
proportions were in South Africa (87%), Colombia (86%), Peru (84%) and Chile
(84%). However, this does not excuse governments and businesses from doing
their part. 77% say a great deal/fair amount of responsibility lies with
governments while 76% say the same for businesses.
Only 39% agree that their country’s government has a clear strategy
to tackle climate change. There is little difference in countries who already
have legally binding commitments to achieving net zero such as Great Britain
(39%), France (34%), Hungary (29%) and Sweden (38%). Dr. Pippa Bailey, Head of UK Climate Change
& Sustainability Practice at Ipsos, said: “Despite 7 in 10 people being concerned about
the impact of climate change on our planet, for the majority of people
globally there are other issues they feel are more pressing, such as their
family’s health, war, financial concerns and the ongoing pandemic. People
know that they have to change their behaviours in order to address climate
change, but if the issue isn’t at the top of their priorities, they are
unlikely to do so, unless there is an incentive that aligns with other
priorities i.e. saving money, and/or being better for the lives and wellbeing
of their families. So, there are real opportunities for businesses and
governments to provide additional incentives and messaging that will
encourage change amongst consumers, but they must also recognise the need for
change themselves.” (Ipsos Denmark) 10 May 2022 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/en-dk/global-advisor-earth-day-2022 742-43-19/Polls Sharing Streaming Account Log-Ins; A Study In 43 Major Markets
The streaming giant raised password sharing as one of the reasons for
this, and plans to ask
subscribers who share their accounts with people outside of their households
to pay more. But what do consumers in APAC feel about sharing login details for
streaming services? Sharing of streaming accounts: how views
differ across APAC markets Latest data from YouGov Global
Profiles – the world's largest globally consistent audience dataset
– reveals that consumers in India, Thailand and Vietnam are most likely out of 12
major APAC markets to say it is ok to share their video/music streaming
service login details with anyone they want to. Over two-fifths (41%) of Indian consumers think it is acceptable to
share streaming service credentials, while more than a third of Thai (36%)
and Vietnamese (34%) consumers also say it is ok to share their video/music
streaming accounts. Additionally, well over a quarter (30%) of consumers in the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia agree with sharing their
streaming subscription, as do more than two in five consumers in Australia (24%), Taiwan (23%), Singapore (22%), China (21%). Meanwhile, the APAC
consumers least likely to be fine with sharing their streaming accounts with
others reside in Hong Kong (18%)
and Japan (10%).
Conversely, more than half of consumers in Japan (55%), Hong Kong (53%) and Australia (52%) think it is not ok to share their
video/music streaming service login details, as do 47% of Singapore’s
consumers. Of note, close to half of consumers in China (48%), Thailand (47%) and Taiwan (45%) are on the fence about
sharing their video/music streaming subscriptions, as well as over a third of
consumers in Vietnam (40%), Japan (36%) and the Philippines (34%). Age differences towards streaming account
sharing in APAC Among consumers in APAC aged 18-44 years, about three in ten (29-30%) think
it is acceptable to share their streaming accounts, while another three in
ten (30-31%) disagree, with the remaining two-fifths (39-40%) currently
neutral. The same is more or less true for 45-54-year-olds. Close to three in ten (28%) agree, although
more think streaming account sharing is not acceptable (36%) and less are
neutral about this (36%). But consumers aged 55 years or
older are much less likely to be fine with sharing streaming
subscriptions – just under one in five (19%) are – while almost half (48%)
disagree with this practice.
Group subscriptions for streaming accounts:
how views differ across APAC markets Consumers in India are
also more likely than any other major APAC market to think that video and
music streaming services should offer more group subscriptions – over three
in five (62%) say so – as do more than half of consumers in Vietnam (57%), Philippines (56%), Malaysia (57%), Singapore (57%) and Indonesia (54%). However, just two in five in China (41%)
and one in six in Japan (16%)
would like to see more group subscription options for streaming services.
(YouGov India) Source: https://th.yougov.com/en-th/news/2022/05/10/sharing-streaming-account-logins-APAC-survey-poll/ 742-43-20/Polls 6 Out Of 10 People Globally Fear That They Will Not Be Able To
Continue Buying The Same Products As Before, In 11 Countries
When the world was still beginning to recover from the economic
impact of Covid-19, the rise in the prices of energy and raw materials,
driven by the international context, has led to a significant increase in the
cost of living in practically all countries. This inflationary crisis,
which in Spain has already reached 1985 levels, has direct consequences on
consumers, who are already noticing the loss of purchasing power. To
find out how citizens perceive this situation and how they plan to deal with
it, Ipsos has conducted a survey in 11 countries, in collaboration with the
World Economic Forum, between April 7 and 18, 2022. The results reveal high levels of economic pessimism among consumers
in the current situation. Thus, a quarter of citizens in these countries
say that it is quite or very difficult for them to manage their finances at
present. For its part, in Spain,
21% of citizens say they have many or quite a few economic difficulties,
while 36% say that "they manage with what is fair" . Only
8% assure that they live comfortably and 3 out of 10 (33%) consider that they
are not doing badly.
Leisure and tourism, the most affected by
the loss of purchasing power This increase in prices, while wages remain unchanged, causes the
progressive loss of purchasing power of consumers. In this context, 8 out of 10 people in Spain are
concerned about the general rise in the prices of goods and services, thus
placing them among the most concerned countries . In
addition, 61% fear that they will not be able to continue buying the same
products as before or pay their gas and electricity bills. Faced with this situation, consumers choose to modify their behavior
to save money. Thus, half of the
Spanish population (50%) assures that they will spend less money on leisure ; 40%
declare that they will spend less on
vacations , placing them, as well as the second country , of the eleven
analyzed, in which the highest
percentage of people declare that they will reduce their spending in
this category, only one point behind Turkey (41%) and closely followed by
France and Canada (39%). Negative expectations: The population
thinks that the upward trend in inflation will continue In view of the situation, the expectations of citizens are
negative. In all the countries
analyzed, the vast majority of the population thinks that inflation will
continue to grow during the next year , with Great Britain
being the most pessimistic (85%). For its part, Spain is the most
optimistic country in this regard, or at least where we see a lower
percentage of citizens who think that prices will continue to rise, with 71%. Among Spanish citizens, the expectations of cost increases are
greater in categories such as food (77%), household expenses (73%),
electricity and gas (71%), fuel (69%) or leisure (67%). The population
attributes this increase to the global economic situation (82%), where Spain,
together with France and Great Britain, are the countries that most indicate
this factor; the consequences of the war in Ukraine (78%), the excessive
profits of companies (72%) where, together with France (73%), they are the
two countries where the largest population points to it as being guilty of
the current situation; the pandemic (70%) and government policies
(69%). But, in addition to prices, citizens also expect that next year
there will be an increase in taxes (63%) and unemployment (60%),
(Ipsos Spain) May 10, 2022 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/es-es/Percepciones_globales_Inflacion_Ipsos_Mayo_2022 742-43-21/Polls How Do Western European And Us Perceptions Of Crime And Policing Compare,
A Study In 8 Nations
Crime is a universal issue, and each country has its own tailored
methods to reduce them. YouGov asked the US public and seven European
countries (Britain, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Denmark and Sweden) their
perception of crime levels in their country, how their police deal with it
and their personal experiences with the police. The US public are most likely to think crime has gone up nationally
in the last few years (67%), with just 7% thinking it has gone down. Of the
European countries we asked, Swedes are the most likely to think crime is on
the rise, at a similar 66% (with just 6% thinking it had gone down). This is
despite the fact that crime rates have remained relatively stable over the
past 10 years.
In contrast, the public in their Scandinavian neighbour Denmark are
the least likely to say crime has gone up, with just 32% saying so (and 17%
saying it has gone down). Crime levels in
Denmark have decreased in recent years and the country is ranked one
of the most peaceful countries on the Global
Peace Index. The majority of people in Spain (59%), and around half in France
(53%) and Italy (52%), say crime has gone up nationally. Almost half of
Britons say the same (47%), with 6% saying gone down and a quarter (24%)
being unsure (the largest ‘don’t know’ group across all countries we asked). Germans are more split between whether crime has gone up (39%) or
stayed the same (33%). Spaniards hold the most positive attitudes
towards their police, whereas Swedes and Britons are the most negative Despite feeling as though levels of crime are going up, two thirds of
Spaniards have confidence in their police to deal with crime in their country
(67%), and they are also the most likely to think their police are doing a
good job (76%). Most of those in Germany (64%), Denmark (60%) and France
(57%) also have confidence in their police and think they are doing a good
job (72%, 70% and 68% respectively). Italians are more split, with 50% having
confidence and 44% not, and 58% saying their police are doing a good job, and
35% saying a bad one.
In the US, each state has their own law enforcement organisation with
its own rules and regulations, but despite national unrest over police
brutality and violence over the last few years, just over half of Americans
still have confidence in their police (54%, with 35% not confident), and
two-thirds (63%) say they’re doing a good job.
In Sweden and Britain, however, only 39% and 37% respectively have
confidence in the police, with the majority saying they do not (57% and 53%
respectively). Despite a lack of confidence, Swedes do have a positive
opinion about the overall job their police are doing, with 68% saying they do
a good job. Britons on the other hand are less pleased, with 51% saying they
are doing a good job, but 38% saying they are performing badly. Compared with the European countries
surveyed, the US public are more likely to have a negative personal
experience with the police Those in the US are most likely to report having been stopped and
searched by police, at 17%. Out of the European countries, Spaniards are most
likely to have done so (12%), and the Danish public are the least likely
(4%). Around one in ten Americans also report feeling prejudice (12%) and
discrimination (10%) from the police and one in seven (14%) have felt
threatened by a police officer. Most of these figures are higher when looking
at the experiences of Black Americans, with a quarter (24%) having been
stopped and searched, one in five (19%) feeling prejudice from the police and
16% feeling discriminated against. Hispanic Americans are also more likely to
report feeling prejudice from the police, with one in five (20%) saying so,
compared to 9% of White Americans. Overall, more of the US public have experienced these issues with the
police than any European countries surveyed, with between 5-9% experiencing
prejudice, 4-5% being discriminated against and between 4-8% feeling
threatened by a police officer. Around one in three people in the US (32%), UK (30%) and Sweden (31%)
have reported a crime to the police, and at least one in six have been
assisted by the police after experiencing a crime (19%, 14% and 15%
respectively). The French public report the lowest levels of having reported a crime
to the police (7%), and the highest level of having not experienced any of
the encounters with the police we asked about (66%). In all other countries,
at least a third of the population have had at least one experience with
their nation’s police, with the US having the most at 62%. (YouGov UK) May 13, 2022 |
